Monday night venues such as College Grind and Fatty’s, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway, are places where students can express themselves with a stage and microphone.

Any public forum is an opportunity for what a community has to offer students. For the purposes of creative expression, open mic nights are an educational means of enriching a student’s college experience. Whether it’s performing a musical cover, sharing spoken word poetry or rehearsing standup comedy, everyone has a story to share.

Students should take advantage of venues that celebrate freedom of expression and attend if they wish to broaden their college experiences. By engaging with freedom of expression, students can use analytical-thinking abilities for their formal studies.

For many, attending open mic nights could be their first time being subjected to new ideas. When students learn about their culture, they are more proactive in their classrooms and engage with the people who live in the DeKalb area.

Attending a random open mic event enlarges social circles. People of different backgrounds may meet another person of conflicting beliefs. In circumstances where students experience new situations, students should use their time and learn in their environment.

In new situations, students can learn tolerance and respect for different beliefs, even if they directly challenge them.

Where students might discover music by browsing playlists, live music is more invigorating. For example, amateur and professional musicians mix on an open stage. For performers, live music requires patience.

Yet, more importantly, a performance demands initiative for those attending. And by sitting in the audience, patrons learn the patience of listening. Provided the location plays original music, attendees can appreciate fresh styles of music instead of listening to their Spotify accounts or the top 40 hits on satellite radio.

College is a time for students to use resources at their disposal. Even with house parties and DIY stages providing space for performers and entertainers, open mic nights are oppurtunites for self-discovery and learning experiences outside of a classroom.